Lecture by Dirk arne Heyen at the RIFS Conference: "Sustainability redux: Tough Conversations in Tough Times"
Social impacts of climate policy instruments: Their role for policy acceptability and implications for policy-making and communication in tough times
04.12.2025
Potsdam
Sustainability, as a guiding concept, seems to be getting driven out of the political arena. Opposition to an inclusive, fact-based exploration of pathways towards a “safe and just space for humanity” is no longer indirect nor tacit; it fuels nationalist and authoritarian counter-responses in a hitherto unthinkable, unconcealed manner. Common values and commonly accepted facts seem to dwindle, narrowing down the room for meaningful conversations. The RIFS 2025 Conference focuses on the challenges for leading meaningful conversations about sustainability, on specific obstacles and on successful strategies for overcoming them.